As we highlighted in a previous article, the problem of presenteeism has become more of a recognised problem in recent times. Nevertheless, new research has suggested that the problem is on the increase, and is only likely to get worse, unless more employers start actively addressing it
The phenomenon Of Presenteeism
In recent times, presenteeism has moved on from a phenomenon where employees work longer hours and take fewer holidays than contractually required, so as to show off an an attitude of hard work to their employer, sometimes fueled by job security fears, to a position where it has evolved into one where employees are working despite being ill.
There are many factors behind this change. This includes fears about job security, concerns about long term career progression, feelings of being irreplaceable, an excessively high workload and a desire to keep on top of it, and the fact that technology such as smart phones (and the ready access to emails through them) makes employees more accessible and effectively on call out of hours (dubbed by some as ‘smartphone presenteeism‘ and ‘digital presenteeism‘).
Presenteeism can often have serious health consequences, with employees becoming worn down and exhausted, less productive, and are often left with long term ill health problems which would not otherwise have occurred had they simply taken the time off when they originally should have done, to recover from their health problems
Moreover, with the Covid-19 pandemic having brought about an increase in working from home, one of the repercussions of that has been an increase in digital presenteeism. Even back in 2016, digital presenteeism was being viewed as an issue that was going to become more of a problem over time, with the Chartered Management Institute’s 2016 Quality of working life survey finding that 61% of managers stated that modern technology made it more difficult for them to switch off from work, with 54% admitting that they regularly checked their emails out of hours.
Presenteeism: A Growing Problem
The 2021 Health and wellbeing at work Report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Simply Health recently reported that 84% of employers had come across presenteeism during the pandemic. However, whilst 75% had witnessed this is the workplace, even more had encountered digital presenteeism from employees working at home - an incredible 77%.
According to the CIPD report: "With the recent increase in homeworking, digital technology has the potential to enable an ‘always on’ culture. There’s a concern that the boundaries between work and home life can be increasingly blurred, making it more difficult for many people to switch off."
Nevertheless, whilst more employers are being proactive in combating presenteeism, 43% are not taking any steps whatsoever.
Reaction
The senior policy adviser for employment relations at the CIPD, Rachel Suff, stated in light of their new report that: "The Covid-19 pandemic has put a huge strain on employers and individuals. Employers should take a strategic and preventative approach to wellbeing in order to tackle work-related stress and unhealthy behaviour like presenteeism and leaveism and this must be role modelled by those in senior positions. They should also recognise the important role that line managers play in supporting individuals with their health and wellbeing. Managers should be equipped with the appropriate training, support and guidance needed to do this effectively."
Suff added: “Our research shows many organisations have taken steps to improve their health and wellbeing support over the last year, particularly regarding mental health support. It’s important that employers don’t lose sight of the gains they have made in supporting people’s health and wellbeing as we move through the next stages of the pandemic and beyond. Increased support over the last year must not be viewed as a sticking plaster for the situation we are currently in. Instead, employers should view health and wellbeing as a business-critical issue and build on this support for the long-term."
Back on the 22nd April 2020, the Women and Equalities Minister, Liz Truss, told the Women and Equalities Committee that there needs to be a cultural shift away from presenteeism, and towards flexible working. She stated: "I’m also interested in the idea of how we can change the culture of offices to move away from presenteeism to move towards more flexible working, and to integrate families more in the lives we’ll lead. I think people are more open about the role of family life in the workplace than they were before and I think that’s a positive change. I think previously it was something that senior executives felt they had to hide away.”
